Hot Springs
by FillInTheBlankNow
Summary: Saving the world didn't allow for much free time. But an accidental shared moment between allies leads to unexpected feelings and confusing sexual tension. In-game, Tifa POV, Vincent/Tifa lovin'
1. Chapter 1

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Saving the world didn't allow for much free time. But Tifa accidentally finds some with Vincent anyway.

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_I was exhausted._

The countless battles, losses, arguments, and tension were finally hitting their peak. I was not the only one who felt this way either. The real problem ultimately came down to how very close to Sephiroth we were but still miles away from being ready to face him.

I shook my head in denial; I had no desire to think about psycho killer right now. All this fear buildup was such wasted energy anyway.

Doing some pre-battle stretches on the Highwind, I watched the night descend onto Gia and tried to let my anxiety go. Always the positive one, couldn't stop now right? Not even after this bullshit day of materia stolen antics from everyone's favorite ninja.

Cloud had just separated with Nanaki and Cid to the northeastern corner of Wutai. Deep in pursuit of that pervert Corneo, they were determined to get Yuffie back after she was abducted. And after she of course stole our materia again.

We all saw this as an easy mission, no real threat, and the rest of us were instructed to explore surrounding areas for anything useful.

Translation: a much-needed break for _this girl_ to blow off some steam. It had felt like too long since I'd gone solo. Cloud had a habit of keeping me under close watch in his usual three members team. Since we lost Aerith, my now protective and paranoid childhood companion was noticeably afraid to loose me too. Although I tend to think it's more the idea of loosing anyone as opposed to me specifically.

Now I'm sure it wasn't intended to, but that shielding nature was becoming a problem. I thought the actions were endearing at first but it soon grew into total nail-biting irritation. I nicknamed his overprotectiveness white knight syndrome and it was terribly wasted on me.

I didn't want to be this _thing_ he had to protect anymore; I may have when we were kids but I grew up fast. Now I had battle tactics for days, was absurdly strong, and extremely gifted in the martial arts. I had the unconditional respect and trust of my teammates, all except him.

I really couldn't tell you why I had such a hard time communicating with Cloud when he was the problem. I froze up a lot; nervousness devoured the insides of my chest and with panicked breaths, my heart would feel awfully close to exploding. I usually bailed once the warning signals went off; embarrassment seemed to be my regrettable Achilles heel.

Though a little more public than I'd hoped- we recently exchanged words about it and I finally came clean.

"Can you not look at me like I'm the weakest part of this group. Because you're wrong." For some reason I decided to instigate this midday, on the Highwinds deck, and within hearing distance of most our group.

_Admittedly not my best move._

Cloud puffed up like a balloon. "Tifa, how can you think that? _I'm watching out for you_, just like everybody else. Why are you getting so upset?" Oh the passive aggressiveness; he was a true master.

"I can't dance around this anymore Cloud. I deserve to have needs met." My voice cracked a little at the beginning but the slowly returning confidence was making a comeback too.

"I will always be there when you need me._ Always_. But you need to back off and stop treating me like some damsel. It's condescending bullshit. From now on I'm pulling a Vincent and doing things on my own terms."

I rather enjoyed how it assertively ended. Cloud huffed off, though I knew he would ultimately be okay. The guy just took an awful long time to process loosing, even if it was an argument.

I awkwardly smiled while my surrounding allies made confused faces. It didn't matter, I was proud of myself for standing up. I had really come a long way from being a passive doormat.

Oh what a ride this adventure had been for us all.

Shaking the recent events from my thoughts, I yelled down to Barrett inside the deckhouse. "Catch you later! I'm heading out, don't wait up!"

"You got it. Ah' need my beauty sleep so I'm calling it a night," he yelled right back, casual as always.

Unlike Cloud, Barrett knew better than to lecture me to be safe. I had always appreciated that about him; he had made a great leader and trusted friend. Practically family at this point, I guess we all were.

Jumping off the Highwind in a skillful flip, I was taken with a returned excitement. I was a free woman; ready to punch some monsters, maybe uncover one of Yuffie's much talked about hot springs, and meditate under the stars.

It was going to be an amazingly well deserved night.

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I started with a couple easy battles, just to get the blood pumping. They mostly dropped garbage but this wasn't about grinding for items. My fists screamed more as the fighting enjoyably continued for a good hour.

Once I had worked up a comfortable sweat, I started walking it off. The cool air soothed my racing pulse and my mind pleasantly relaxed.

I was eagerly searching for Yuffie's alleged "greatest hot springs ever" when my alert night vision eyes noticed some rising steam in the distance.

Breaking into a childlike run, I ambitiously started tearing off my gloves.

So close now, it looked beautiful as the moon moved in the most perfect way to illuminate gigantic rocks surrounding it.

I had absolutely no patience now and continued at the same hurried pace while I prepped my hair into a long ponytail and shoved off my suspenders. I looked so silly as I reached for one red shoe, still trying to hop closer, throwing it off, and doing the same thing with the other.

I almost started lifting up my shirt while vocalizing delight through singing "My own private geta-" But I cut myself off. Because the second I descended into the oasis, my eyes locked with a very familiar face already enjoying it.

"Way…" I completed the half sentence; blushing total humiliation while my body remained frozen in some awkward 'I'm about to jump' pose.

"Hey there Vincent!" I slowly lowered my arms, mentally facepalming at everything I just did.

"Tifa" he acknowledged with total calmness as my demeanor exploded with self-consciousness.

_That suave fucker,_ I mentally cursed, slightly impressed at how the bombshell entrance had no affect on him whatsoever. _It didn't even spook him._

My nervous eyes suddenly traveled to a rock where he had neatly hung all his clothing.

_All his cloths_, I kept thinking. _That means…_

He's naked!

If I had thought I needed to get it together earlier then what was happening now called for a mental intervention. Why was this such an overly affecting thing? I'm an adult! I've seen naked men before and it never once phased me.

But c'mon! I fight monsters and bad guys! How was the potential thought of an exposed Vincent making me such an intimidated mess?

"I can leave if you'd like," he kindly offered at my continued silent awkwardness. And I instantly felt like such an asshole. "No, please don't feel required to. Geez I'm sorry, I'm a little delayed because I wasn't expecting anyone. But it's all completely fine. Just disregard me being an idiot." I tried to laugh it off playfully but I was in the company of someone who it was likely meaningless to.

"It's really no trouble," he said with a hint of disbelief but I cut him off aggressively.

"I'd rather you stayed."

_'Do I?'_

All of a sudden what my brain was thinking and what I was actually saying were two very different things.

His curiosity was on me and I felt some kind of unexpected excitement. It was a rather confusing feeling so I immediately buried it right next to my sexual frustration.

I had always thought the elusive gun wielder was a unique addition to the team. We fought side by side a couple times and he had certainly proven himself skilled and reliable. I remembered enjoying quiet moments aboard the Highwiind, stargazing in comfortable silence together; but that was the extent of our relationship. In all honesty, I knew little to nothing about him.

"Well are you going to come it then?"

My head tilted a little sideways and I could feel the heat rising in my body again.

_Serious face, serious face, serious face._

Taking deep mental breaths and finally recomposing, I signaled my fingers in a circle "would you mind… turning around a minute?"

Vincent's face looked unexpectedly apologetic, obliging considerately as he redirected his body opposite mine. "You'll have to forgive me, I've forgotten a good amount of my manners after being in a coffin for twenty years." His voice felt like tattered, expensive leather and I shivered.

"You seem quite the gentlemen to me." My words flowed more comfortably now as the idea of getting to know this person felt less like a threat and more of an intriguing challenge.

The initial self-consciousness was gone and I quickly stripped my cloths, throwing then impulsively in a disordered pile. Our variations of neatness stood apart like polar opposites.

Dipping into water, I experienced perfect relaxation and nearly melted; the noise that followed was an uncontrollable moan of pleasure.

Before I registered what happened, Vincent turned around, and with a light kind of amusement said, "I did the same thing once I got in here."

Still lightly blushing, I smiled at his attempt to make me less embarrassed. It had surprisingly worked.

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A/N: I have A LOT of in-game TifaxVincent hookups rolling around in my head. And replaying VII right now has basically propelled most of them into actual writing. I'm super pumped about this because I've been out of the fanfiction scene for too long and it's so fun to be back with ideas I don't hate! The rating will most likely go up depending on how I finish the next chapter. I have yet to write a full VxT sex scene, so when I finally do; it's going to be AN EXPLOSIVELY DESCRIPTIVE, LONG, AND FULFILLING ONE.

I know it's a bit on the short side but I hope you enjoyed this. I'll try and get the next bit out soon. Reviews make my brain happy :3


	2. Chapter 2

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**Chapter 2**

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I could feel the satisfied gaze of Vincent while his unexpected attempt at a joke made my awkwardness smooth into ease.

A relaxing silence followed, complemented by the tranquil sounds of water and crickets singing. I reclined back into the spring, exhaling doubts and insecurities. There was something different in my demeanor now, but I was still a little confused at how initially awkward everything had felt.

I was not a modest woman. Though it originally took some time with adjusting to Sephiroth's scar, joining Avalanche significantly blossomed my self-confidence; I learned to love and respect my body, faults and all.

During my first few weeks into initiation, I realized I wasn't nervous about being naked in the company of allies; those instances were actually quite comfortable or indifferent for me. But experiencing this shared exposure with Vincent seemed to be provoking new and conflicting feelings. I knew they had to be addressed eventually, but for the moment, it was so much easier to keep ignoring it.

_Uh-oh_, there it was again. My thoughts quickly mixed with returned weak feelings.

I remembered the tightness in my stomach.

The heat on my cheeks,

The ravenous skips of my heartbeat.

It was an alarming chain-reaction and the gunslinger was the perpetrator.

I suavely turned to sneak a peak at Vincent. He appeared lost in thought, head back, eyes closed, with maybe the slightest hint of smile across his mouth. I unexpectedly found myself admiring his bare shoulders. They were toned, pale, and littered with light red scars. I squinted, looming forward, trying to get a better look. He was so exposed and vulnerably endearing. Vincent's hair delicately wrapped around one side of his neck, reflecting a black sheen in the moonlight. I was a little too hypnotized, holding my transfixing stare longer than intended as Vincent eyes shot open. I tried to casually look up at the sky, playing it off like I wasn't totally eyeballing him.

Vincent just looked amused as he blew my mind a second time with the following enquiry. "How are you doing, Tifa?"

It was such a simple question but it made my face light up with surprise and an eagerness to answer. Vincent's tone was kind. It honestly felt like forever since someone had asked me this; a_sked me this with such genuine interest and concern. _I started to anxiously twirl the bottom of my ponytail while I locked eyes into the gun wielders.

I had never seen him smile this much, never seen him this relaxed or talkative.

Vincent felt so comforting.

"I'm finally on the right track and I'm starting to feel awfully good about it." I tried not to sound smug but I think it came out with the proper vitality.

"You deserve it," he casually responded with such earnestly it made me blush.

I unknowingly seemed to be inching closer to him as my body lost control over its movement.

But I caught myself, stopping after a foot, regaining my composure.

"And you?" my voice struggled to hide vulnerability. "How are you Vincent?"

"Well for the first time I'm learning to fight for something deeper than revenge. I'm terrified and hopeful at the same time."

"It sure takes awhile," I exhaled with a faint remorse.

Vincent's gaze was on me again, this time with a mix of concern and curiosity; it silently asked for an explanation.

Thats when I suddenly was comfortable enough to.

For the first time, I let my walls fall down and revisited the past with welcoming arms.

"I lost my father to Sephiroth…" My eyes immediately hardened at the memory, it had been so long since remembering. It felt like reopening an old wound. "I watched my town burn and my insides twist as his blade tore into my chest. For the longest time I wanted to feel Sephiroth's blood against my fists, I wanted to _ruin_ him."

This time it looked like Vincent was the one slowly inching closer. He had his hand outstretched and clutching against the top of the spring's rocks. It felt like he was almost reaching out to me; I suddenly wished he were. I was unexpectedly consumed with a need to feel those arms around me; I wanted to embrace his reassurance and offer mine.

But I understood this wasn't a reality.

"I know what revenge tastes like, how it consumes you in the ugliest ways. As trivial as the saying goes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And once you get there, you can move on."

"I'm starting to understand," he nodded respectfully. "I repented my revenge for an unbearable amount of years, choosing constant self inflicted pain because I needed to suffer for my mistakes. Once you found me, everything changed. I remembered how comforting your face was and the determination in your voice. It gave me a returned sense of motivation to live, to fight, to try and forgive myself. I never thanked you for that."

I was overwhelmingly touched at his sensitivity and appreciative words. I felt a returned flush across my cheeks, realizing we were now only about two feet apart. My heart sped up in excited beats as my body tactically moved an inch closer.

Vincent raised his head, lost in nostalgia. "It's pretty alarming… what I've done. _I was a Turk._ That alone carries enough weight to burry you in a lifetime of regret. When I was younger it didn't bother me. Until…" The gunslingers face softened in a touchingly painful way; it felt so familiar. "I never regretted anything until I met Lucretia."

My ears attentively listened with total curiosity, hungry for his precious secrets with full shivers running down my spine. I felt so fortunate that we were exposing ourselves to each other; it was supporting in a way I've never experienced.

"I let the one I loved, the one I respected most, face the worst. I could have stopped the birth of Sephiroth but I failed. And I'm so sorry you had to face him." His face sunk with such a melancholy energy and my heart sank with him. I suddenly had to say something, he did not deserve this guilt. "Vincent, I doubt any of Sephiroth is your fault. None of this is your fault."

I watched Vincent's eyes start to water at my straightforward assurance. He needed to know it, to feel it- but the gunslinger tried to hide his vulnerability with turning away.

"No one has ever… said that to me." His voice chocked as he fought against tears. Seeing such sensitive, emotional grief made me take a serious risk. I moved quickly, so fast Vincent didn't have time to react against it.

I embraced him and softly pulled his body against mine. I could feel his entirety stiffen at the contact. My face leaned into his neck, offering more words that he needed to believe. "It's not your fault," I repeated in softly. "It's not your fault."

Thats when I realized my intended consoling may have been accomplishing the exact opposite. After all, I did have my bare chest, still hidden underwater, pressed strongly against him. My arms were tightly around Vincent's neck though his were off to the side, unmoving and awkwardly frozen. I was about to pull away, apologizing with a mortified "Sorry, I didn't mean to…" when Vincent cut me off with two arms that wrapped against me. The heat between us was overwhelming. I closed my eyes, focusing on the unforgettable moment of contentment between us.

Everything felt so perfect.

"Thank you," he gently whispered with a reassuring tightness; I was beaming.

That's when something hard brushed against my leg; I knew exactly what it was. Vincent felt it too, and we pulled away at the same time. Embarrassment punched both of us square in the face as we returned to our initial hot springs spots.

An uncomfortable silence loomed over us as we avoided eye contact; Vincent looked like he wanted to apologize but couldn't quite articulate the words because he was still struggling with what just happened.

"What's your favorite color? Mine's brown," was the first thing that came to mind. It was a pretty weak attempt at a subject change but my voice somehow relaxed again; it quickly seemed to be rubbing off on Vincent.

"Red," he responded with relief, surprising me with casually asking, "What's your favorite animal?"

"A bear!" I practically shouted with a returned excitement.

"I had a pet greyhound when I was young. I'd have to say he was."

I was smiling like an idiot now; ready to play the game and dig a little deeper while I was at it. "What's your favorite way to relax?" There was a lingering suggestiveness I snuck in there and I was eager for an answer.

"I'd have to say right now," his words cut though me. "My life has not been filled with pleasant moments but this is the most unexpectedly wonderful time I've had in twenty years."

I struggled to voice anything as Vincent smugly enjoyed my blushing. "I'm going with two answers," I managed to blurt out. "Massages and Hot springs."

Vincent's eyes suddenly caught mine in a serious gaze; his potential question had me on the edge. "What do you find attractive in someone?"

The sexual tension immediately reached its peak. My whole body was on fire for this man. The openness, the brief touch of his body, the way his hair fell against his face. I could not take this obvious want any longer.

I pumped my ego up with encouraging "You got this's" and "You never know until you try's." I took a deep breath and then gulped it down.

I mentally shook off the rest of my potential rejection anxiety and fiercely stood up, completely naked and exposed.

"You," my words echoed in passion.

I watched Vincent's eyes light up with shock and admiration while I somehow found the confidence to open my mouth again. "I am painfully attracted to you and I want to feel my body against yours again."

The gunslinger was visually absorbing every inch of my exposed self and I flushed as his smile widened.

Oh Gai, _that smile _will be the death of me.

I tried desperately to stay composed, and not to brag- I can fake a pretty convincing calm when I have to. But everything went a complete 180 once Vincent stood up, revealing a very excited lower half that screamed a mutual need. His golden arm shimmered as water dripped off his stunning body. I was so lost with drooling over him that I didn't register the gunslinger moving closer. I felt his claw delicately grab my lower back as the other moved to my hair, gently undoing the ponytail. I moaned at the sudden invasion and the coldness of his metal as I impatiently pressed my chest back against his.

There it was again, that overpowering warmth.

His mouth suddenly began trailing soft kisses down my neck, then back to my face. Our eyes met and our lips locked. He tasted like cinnamon as I forced my tongue to dance with his. Everything somehow just fit into place and my body was shaking with such unfamiliar excitement. Vincent felt like the closest thing to actual perfection.

Together, we forgot about all the regret, past, and demons.

Now it was just us.

_Just us._

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A/N: So yay! I finally finished this! Next chapter will possibly be steaming up to an M rating. What say you, readers? I'd very much appreciate any reviews or suggestions.

Huge thanks to: Botoingness, Anna, Fostersb, Dreadwing, and ExDeath'sBagle


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